It is with great sadness that the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation announces the passing of Tribal President Dr. Clinton M. Pattea. Dr. Pattea was born, raised, and died in his beloved homeland of Fort McDowell in the early morning of July 5th, 2013. Clinton Pattea, whose Indian name in Yavapai is Diss’-Diss’ah, devoted much of his life’s work serving the Fort McDowell Yavapai people, including his 50 years in Tribal office. He was centrally involved in the Nation’s defining events for over 60 years. While his life has come to an end, his visionary leadership endures in the promising futures of his People. “He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. But, we at Fort McDowell will continue in his legacy of promoting education, preserving our native language, and maintaining our Tribal sovereignty and self-reliance,” Vice President Bernadine Burnette stated.

President Pattea earned a bachelor’s degree in business and minor in Art from Northern Arizona University in 1959. In 1960, as a very young man, he first entered and served on Fort McDowell’s Tribal Council. Simultaneously, while putting his business degree to good use, he worked as an operations supervisor for Valley Bank from 1960-1969. In 1970, Dr. Pattea was appointed Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on Indian Affairs, a post he held for the next 16 years.

Even as a young man he distinguished himself in the private and public sectors, his deepest devotion was towards his People and fighting for Yavapai rights. Dr. Pattea helped lead the fight against the proposed Orme Dam at the confluence of the Verde and Salt Rivers. The dam would have flooded most of the Fort McDowell Reservation, forcing our Tribe to relocate. By effectively mobilizing Tribal members and inspiring strong public support, Clinton Pattea and other Fort McDowell leaders faced down the federal government and saved our homeland. On Nov. 12, 1981, Interior Secretary James Watt announced that Orme Dam would not be built.

Dr. Pattea has held the position of Tribal President longer than any other in our Tribe’s history. Throughout this period, President Pattea oversaw the growth of our nation’s gaming enterprise, surmounting numerous challenges along the way. The greatest of these came on May 12, 1992, when federal agents under the direction of the U.S. Attorney attempted to confiscate the Nation’s slot machines. Frustrated by the refusal of two Arizona governors to negotiate a gaming compact as required by federal law, Fort McDowell and three other Arizona tribes had gone ahead and installed the gaming machines. As U.S. Marshals and FBI agents loaded the machines on Mayflower moving vans, Fort McDowell community members set up a blockade to prevent the vans from leaving the casino parking lot. Forced to back down, Gov. Fife Symington entered into compact negotiations with the tribes, resulting in Arizona’s first tribal gaming compacts. President Pattea’s steady leadership and remarkable poise under pressure during this crisis set the stage for the immense success that tribal gaming has become.

In recognition of his exemplary leadership over his long career, President Pattea has been awarded numerous honors, including an honorary doctorate from NAU, the Wendell Chino Humanitarian Award from the National Indian Gaming Association, the Arizona Culture Keepers Award and the Regents Award for Outstanding Service to Higher Education.

From his 2009 speech honoring and dedicated a wing of the River of Time Museum, Dr. Pattea stated: “The journey from poverty to prosperity means we have established a bright future. We in Tribal Council are entrusted with and will continue to maintain this prosperity for our children, as they are our future. Our economic ventures mean more than just steady employment. They foster pride, demonstrate our historic work ethic, and advanced a spirit of entrepreneurship that will undoubtedly create other landmarks in the future. I am proud to be part of that history. I am proud to call myself a Yavapai.”

In lieu of flowers, donations will be gratefully accepted in the name of: The Dr. Clinton M. and Rosiebelle Pattea Foundation at any Wells Fargo Bank.